When I can I try to role play on this nifty little creation called a "MUCK". I won't explain what that is now; instead I wanted to talk about a specific issue I've seen way too much angst and debate over.
How do you justify having a powerful character? How do you justify ancient demi-god sages and farmers at the same time? Most people agree that you should not be able to start off powerful, and thus should select an inexperienced, entry-level, mundane character to start out.
Aside from the obvious fact that this crushes the imagination of those with a talent for the weird (namely, me), there is an obvious flaw in the above reasoning, something that if people realized and understood it would considerably reduce the number of times a more "powerful" player takes advantage of a less "powerful" player, and it would also perhaps loosen the requirements that have doomed a few of my most creative characters.
On a MUCK, there is no connection between power and experience. _none_. Of course specific MUCKs can write code to modify themselves into something that connects power to experience, but that is not the point. There should be no connection between in-character experience and out-of-character power. There is no "I can beat you because I'm stronger," because ultimately we are all nothing more than a set of properties and a telnet connection.
Take our farmer for instance. Suppose Azrael Winged Angel of Doomishness comes into the barn during a farmer's convention and decides to slay them to a man. What do they do, these helpless farmers? Well, they can do several things at this point. They can resist Azrael's attack claiming it's not their time yet. They can discount this insane babbling fool who thinks he's the angel of death. Suppose Azrael pulls out his scythe of Unstoppability? They can block it with a pitchfork.
How did these farmers get so powerful? They didn't. The issue here isn't a matter of power, it's a matter of agreement. Azrael did not ask OOC permission to behead the lot of them. If he had OOC, and they agreed, then the slaughter could commence. But Azrael acting alone is a character just like any of the farmers, no matter how powerful or angel-of-deathy he is. Even the lowliest farmer can pull life from the soil with his bare hands. Although the farmers should treat Azrael in the context he presents himself, this in no way obligates them to be pushed around by him.
We characters on a MUCK /want/ to get hurt. We want strife, struggle, angst, difficulty. We want to lead interesting lives and may the Chinaman be damned. We're playing. How much more fun is it to scream in pain and collapse holding your gutted eye socket, later showing up with a dark patch and an excuse for role playing, or to easily turn aside his beak, leaping into the air and flying off like Superman?
Of course both are desirable and fun, but too many people think the second one is the goal and the first one is the failure. No, the failure is when you fly off Superman every time, and never bother with a scratch. Failure is when you are isolated, when you can't be touched, can't be hurt, can't interact on an equal level. On a MUCK, superiors are the disadvantaged ones, because they cannot interact in the same way as other people, either from the fact that they have taken on a terrible responsibility, or from the fact that they have forgotten how to roleplay a person, not a monolith.
Failure is also when you let the sword run you through, when you give up, submit and let the other person control you without asking. You should think of creative ways to avoid someone who is being too pushy, and ways to refuse someone who won't respect the limits you have defined.
I say this about MUCKs because the MUDs that preceded them did impose experience based power. Kill enough people and you can defeat anyone easily! But such MUDs easily and almost always result in endless bouts of hit-miss-hit-miss-swing-thrust-parry-riposte and no story. It's a frinkin' text based adventure fegunda's sake! It ain't exactly Everquest, so why waste time killing people for points?
Taking an interesting proposed death and running with it is one thing.
"Oh! Oh! Ohhh," Fogley groans, the pacifier impaled in his chest. "They got me... mother..." he collapses in a dead heap.
Baby_Muggsy says, "Okay boys, we is done here, let's scram before we get busted."
But there is no obligation to do so. There is no rule saying you can't play a Super Sayajin Prince (provided it fits the theme/backstory), but you can still be stopped in your tracks for trying to trample a farmer (who is also a player). What's the point of playing a Super Sayajin Prince then, you say? Getting the point I see.
We exist for the story, not for your character, not for the other guy's, but for the story. It's not whether you win or lose, it's whether or not it was interesting. Remember that.
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